Ski pants



P 6 1955 H. s. HIRSCH 2,716,754

s14: PANTS Filed Aug. 3.1, 1952 FIG. 2

IN VENTOR Hora/d .S. H/rs ch United States Patent Oil Free 2,716,754 Patented Sept. 6, 1955 SKI PANTS Harold S. Hirsch, Portland, Oreg.

Application August 11, 1952, Serial No. 303,731

3 Claims. (Cl. 2-227) My invention relates to improvements in ski trousers and the like.

In order to function properly when in use for skiing, ski trousers should permit the wearer but limited knee bend. In other words, such trousers should have a frontal tautness from the waist to the ankle after but a slight bending of the wearers knees. This is accomplished by anchoring each trouser leg at the site of the wearers ankle and by seeing to it that the waist band makes a snug fit. However the degree of frontal trouser tautness which facilitates skiing makes it difficult if not impossible for the skier to bend his knees sufiiciently to drive his automobile or to sit down in any way.

It is therefore the primary object of my invention to solve the aforenoted problem by providing the frontal portion of each trouser leg with a transversely extending relief area having means whereby it can be brought into use when the wearer wants to sit down but which at other times will assure of the requisite tautness for easy skiing.

Additionally, the invention contemplates the provision of a transverse relief area for each trouser leg of a pair of ski pants which will be inconspicuous when not in use, there being provided convenient and normally concealed means for'holding such relief area in its closed or out of use position.

Additionally, the invention aims to provide a relief area for the purpose specified which includes a fastener-controlled split transversely across each trouser leg and an associated, normally concealed, pleat which bridges the split-defined gap when open, the trousers being reinforced at the site of each split and pleat.

The invention also resides in certain detailed features of construction, combination and arrangement of the various parts, as will be readily understood and appreciated by those versed in the art.

In the drawing, wherein the same reference characters have been used to designate the same parts throughout the several views Fig. l is a front perspective view of a pair of ski trousers embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of one trouser leg illustrating the use of the pleat-provided relief area;

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional View through the trouser leg of Fig. 2 and showing the pleat in cross section.

Referring to the drawing by reference characte rs, the ski trousers 6 have the leg portion 7 and are gathered in the region of the hips as indicated at 8 so that the trousers will be anchored to the body of the wearer at the waist band line 9.

As usual, each trouser leg terminates in the footreceiving loop 10 whereby the trouser legs 7 are anchored against upward travel. Thus, as will be appreciated, the frontal area of the trousers 6 will become taut as the result of very slight knee bend of the wearer. This is very advantageous in that frontal tautness greatly facilitates skiing.

The knee bend which is permitted by the trousers 6 when in use is not sufiicient to permit the wearer to drive his car, or for that matter to sit down, at least with any degree of comfort.

Therefore, in carrying out the invention, I provide each trouser leg 7 at the region of the knee with a transverse frontal split 11. Each of these splits 11, as will be hereinafter explained in detail, is adapted to be effectively closed by a slide fastener or the like 20 when the trousers are in use for skiing. Such slide fasteners 20 are operable to open the slits 11 to admit of free knee bend when the user wants to sit down, as for instance for the purpose of driving his car.

The details of the slide fastener-closed split 11 are best illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 which disclose frontal trouser portions 12, 13, respectively, above and below the split 11. As shown in Fig. 3, the upper frontal trouser leg portion 12 above each split 11 terminates in edge 12a which is defined by the reverted or turned back part 12b. Against such reverted upper portion 12b is secured the aligned rear end portions of a doubled flap 14, stitching 15 being availed of for this purpose. The fold-provided lower edge 14a of the flap 14 terminates adjacent to, and is coextensive with, the fold-defined upper edge 13a of the lower frontal section 13. Edge 13a is provided by the reverted turned under portion 13b of said lower frontal portion as indicated. Underlying the flap 14 well inwardly of its lower edge 14a is a coextensive row of the slide fastener-controlled locking teeth which are carried as usual by the strip of flexible material 16 which is secured by the stitching 15 against the inner surface of the flap 14 opposite the turned under portion 12b of the upper frontal portion 12.

Companion slide fastener controlled teeth 17a for interengagement with the teeth 1611 are carried by the strip 17 which is secured by stitching 18 against the inner surface of the reverted portion 13b of the lower frontal trouser portion 13.

When the teeth 16, 17a are out of interlocking engagement as in Fig. 2, a pleat 19 will be exposed by bending of the knee. This pleat 19, when split 11 is closed, and the trousers are in use'for skiing will lie down alongside the inner surface of the lower frontal portion 13, as indicated in Fig. 3 with its lower folded end 19a well below the split 11.

Referring to Fig. 3, the upper end of the pleat 19 is secured in overlying relationship to the strip 16 by means of the stitching 15. The pleat 19 when not in use extends downwardly well below the split 11 and has the reverted fold 19a. The upper end 1% of this reverted pleat fold is stitched as at 18 to overlie the lower tooth-carrying strip 17 below the line of the lower split edge 13a as indicated. The slide fastener 20, indicated in Fig. 2, which serves to actuate teeth 16a, 17a to close the split has the chain or other connection 21 to which is secured the ring 22 to facilitate operation of same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A pair of skiing pants including hip, knee and ankle portions and providing anchoring means at said hip and ankle portions whereby to effect a tautness of the frontal portion of said pants rendering it possible to bend the knee portion only slightly; a relief area at the frontal portion of each knee portion, said relief area having a transversely extending slit formed therein, a slit closure providing interengageable means carired adjacent the opposed slit edges, a flap overlying said closure means and stitched to said pants at one side only of said slit, said closure means and related flap being co-extensive in length with said slit, a pleat underlying related closure means and extending beyond the ends of said slit and stitching securing the ends of related closure means, said pleat, and said flap on opposite sides of said slit whereby to prevent elongation of said slit by ripping of the pants material.

2. In a pair of skiing pants or the like having loose fitting legs adapted to extend to a point adjacent the wearers feet and each providing a foot-engaging anchoring portion, there being anchoring means at the hip region of said pants cooperating with said foot engaging anchoring portions to limit knee bending when the pants are in use; and optionally useable frontal relief area adjacent the lower portion of each pants leg, said relief area having a transversely extending slit formed therein, a longitudinal series of interengageable fastening elements secured to the pants material at opposite sides of each slit for closing the latter, a separate tape-form carrier for each series of fastening elements, said tape-form carriers underlying pants portions at opposite sides of said slit, 2. cover fiap for each slit to overlie and conceal the related fastening elements when the latter are interengaged, a gusset-form pleat underlying each slit and having portions underlying said tape-form carriers at opposite sides of said slit, said tape-form carriers, cover flaps and gusset form pleat being at least coextensive in length with said slit, a row of stitching securing each gusset-form pleat, closure flap, and one of said tape-form fastener carriers to the pants adjacent one side of the related slit, fastening means securing the other tape form carriers to the pants adjacent the opposite side of the related slit, a transverse row of stitching adjacent each end of each slit and extending to opposite sides of the plane of the latter and securing both of the related tape-form carriers and the ends of the related gusset-form pleat and cover flap to said pants, said transverse lines of stitching retaining the related cover flap in operative position while providing a rip-stop adjacent each end of said slit and retaining the parts in assembly adjacent the slit ends.

3. The structure of claim 2 and wherein each of the second mentioned rows of stitching intersects at a right angle the first mentioned row of stitching and the tape form carrier fastening means to define a rectangle when said slit is closed for skiing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNETED STATES PATENTS 620,435 Fisher Feb. 28, 1899 964,697 Rogers July 9, 1910 2,264,958 Smith Dec. 2, 1941 2,447,989 Previdi Aug. 24, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS 15,797 Great Britain of 1902 511,414 Great Britain Mar. 10, 1939 1,004,746 France Nov. 28, 1951 

